Baseball’s lights shine bright during the summer, but this Southern collegiate baseball league is trying something a little different, putting America’s Pastime under the black lights.
The Tri-City Chili Peppers are a collegiate summer team that was able to play a game under the black lights on June 1st.
The Chili Peppers belong to the Coastal Plain League, which calls it “Cosmic Baseball,” where the ball glows brightly through the darkness.
“It’s actually a lighter atmosphere than what most people would think,” said Chris Martin, owner of the Chili Peppers told MLB.com. “You can see everything extremely well.”
It would seem the game went off without a hitch, concluding with a 9-4 victory for the Chili Peppers.
The league, which has produced some of baseball’s biggest stars, including Justin Verlander, Kevin Youkilis, and Alec Bohm among others, has invested $100,000 or more in this venture, according to MLB.com.
There was an extensive start-up process here, including a dedicated team of lighting professionals, and “lots of trial and error” alongside real baseball practice.
The sport is essentially the baseball that we know and love, but in a glow-in-the-dark setting.
Surely there are some concerns for injury here, as a baseball moving at 100 MPH or more in many cases, poses a risk if a player is having difficulty tracking the ball correctly into their glove.
“If you can get everybody out there in practices and feel comfortable and have everybody relax while they’re playing, I think it’s going to make it a really good experience,” Chill Peppers catcher Jacob Lee told MLB.com
The only other sport that has done such an audacious move to play under black light is tennis, according to Martin.
“It was just guys messing around” and not a true sporting event, Martin explained.
There was clear interest, though, as tickets sold out within 24 hours according to Martin.
The team will continue with this format, hosting Cosmic games on June 15, June 28 and July 20.
